To Better Days
by DeynaAU
Summary: This is an AU story of how Deacon is there for Rayna, being the man she knew he could be. This is fun, and sexy, fluff.


Disclaimer: The characters belong to Callie Khouri and NashvilleCMT. I'm just borrowing them.

A/N: In my AU world, episodes S5E8 – 11 of NashvilleCMT do not exist and Rayna lives on. I am new to fanfic. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

"Come on now, Buck! I thought you said we had a strong quarter," Rayna cried.

"We did, Ray. But we were bleeding after Zach got bored with the country music scene and fled to Silicon Valley with his angel funds. We'll recoup some of that with the lawsuit, but that's going to take a while to settle."

"Man! This year's been like a bad country song. First, Maddie's emancipation. Then that nut, Carl…Wayne…whatever. Now, this."

"Hey, you're going to get through this, Ray. The Exes are burning up the chart. You and Deacon kick off your sold out tour in six weeks. The buzz for the album is extremely positive. And, Juliette's getting ready to release her new material. I know it looks bleak, but my money's on you to come out on top. You always do. Why don't you go home and forget about all this right now."

"Yeah. I think it will do me good to just put this behind me for the moment."

###

When Rayna walked in the house, it was eerily quiet and dark. She sighed and was disappointed as she was really hoping Deacon would be home so she could talk to him. He was a great listener and really understood often what she couldn't say. He'd understand her fear of losing – she hated to lose – and help her think more clearly.

She quickly and dejectedly dropped her purse and keys on the kitchen island and just as she was turning to grab a bottle of water from the fridge, she noticed a card, a single rose, a CD and a glass of champagne on the counter.

Her heart skipped a beat and a smile started to wash over her. She grabbed the card. Inside was a note from Deacon:

You are cordially invited to a pity party. Take a nice long gulp of champagne. Refill your glass, grab the bottle and CD and follow the trail.

Rayna giggled like a school girl. A mix tape – _Rayna's Pity Party Mix_! Deacon was always full of surprises!

She dutifully followed his instructions then looked for the trail. He had laid rose petals on the path from the kitchen to the back stairwell to their bedroom (no surprise it would lead there!). She took a deep breath then opened the door.

"Oh, my stars! _What_ are you doing?" Rayna exclaimed as she took in the carefully constructed scene. The room was awash in candlelight. Rose petals were strewn on the floor and bed. There were trays of food on the bed. And there among it all, doing his best beefcake pose, was Deacon in his clingy boxer briefs with a bullseye in the middle and a lipstick imprint on the bulge at the center.

"I know things have been hard for you lately and I just wanted to do something nice for you. I have chacuterie, crudités, oh, and dessert."

Rayna raised her eyebrow and burst into laughter. "Chacutiere and crudités?"

Deacon smirked. "Yeah, meat and cheese and veggies."

And, with that they shared a laughed.

"Babe, I love you," Rayna proclaimed, feeling a 1000% better already.

"Well how about you show me. You have way too many clothes on, Ray. Make yourself comfortable. How about you lose those 5" heels then start shedding some layers."

Rayna gladly obliged while Deacon attentively watched her every move. He tried to control his lust, after all, this was about Rayna, but man, she was mighty fine! She was getting in shape for the tour and it showed. Her arms were taut. Her legs – those legs that don't quit - were smooth and curved in all the right places. That butt and those boobs – pure perfection. Good Lord!

"Deacon," Rayna, now clad in only her bra and panties, pulled him from his revelry. "This is lovely babe, but while you write the most incredible love songs, you are not known for being a romantic. Fess up. Did the girls help you with this?"

Deacon acted hurt, then exclaimed with indignation, "Ray! I would never ask our daughters to help me plan the seduction of their mother. They get grossed out when they see us kiss. I'd never be able to look them in the eye. No, I asked Scarlett."

"You're right. That would be awkward. Ok, so I won't be able to look _Scarlett_ in the eye."

They both laughed and Rayna dropped down on the bed, grabbed Deacon's face between her hands and softly laid her lips on his then snuggled in the crook of his arm. "Thank you, babe. You always know just want I need."

###

They talked – well mostly Rayna talked and Deacon listened - and fed each other for the next two hours. The stress of the day and week and the year slowly melted away. It was always cathartic for Rayna to talk with Deacon. He truly was the yin to her yang, the peanut butter to her jelly, her other half. They were so completely connected.

"Babe, I feel so much better. Thank you for this. Thank you for being here. Thank you for caring."

"I knew you needed this. I needed it to. I miss these long, deep talks. I always want to be here for you, sweetie. You know what else I miss?" Deacon asked conspiratorially.

Rayna played along although she fully knew where this was going – hoping where this was going. "What?"

"Me and you tangled up together."

With that Deacon grabbed the can of whipped cream from the dessert tray. He looked her in the eye, his dark with want, smirked and vigorously shook the can and squirted it in his mouth. Rayna didn't need to be told what to do next.

She locked her hands behind his neck to keep her target steady and hungrily assaulted his mouth with her tongue and when she couldn't finish him off with her tongue, her lips latched onto his, sucking and biting. She reluctantly pulled away and grasped for breath. He grabbed her around her waist to pull her into him and she slammed her hips into him until they couldn't get any closer. Man, it didn't take much for him to send her hormones into overdrive!

"You still have too many clothes on Ray," Deacon said, his voice thick with lust. "Let me help you get more comfortable." He reached behind her back and unsnapped her bra releasing those beautiful, full, firm boobs. He relieved her of the bra then slid his calloused fingers underneath the waistband of her panties and slowly trailed them down her long, toned legs.

"Your turn, darlin'," Rayna prompted. Deacon stood up hurriedly and pushed his boxers to his feet and stepped out. "Much better," Rayna purred appreciatively as she admired his manhood.

Now that they were more comfortable and had total access to each other, Deacon took one of the huge strawberry's on the plate and dipped it in chocolate sauce then held it above her mouth tacitly inviting her to seduce the strawberry. Rayna licked off the chocolate then took a huge bite and held it between her teeth. He knew what she was asking and he didn't need to be asked twice. He bit into the other half of the berry meeting her lips at the other end. His tongue circled her lips drinking in the flavor, drinking in Rayna as if she were the last drop of water on earth. A moan escaped their throats as they came up for air.

He pulled away. This seduction was far from done. He held the stem of the strawberry in his fingers and dipped it once more in the sauce covering it until it was dripping with chocolate. Rayna licked her lips preparing for another assault, her lips aching for the taste of him. But Deacon was done with her lips for now. He drizzled the chocolate on her left nipple then rubbed the butt of the strawberry around her areola, then his mouth followed and he sucked and bit sending Rayna into a near frenzy. "Deacon" she moaned wanting him inside her, now. But, Deacon had other plans.

He grabbed the server filled with the chocolate sauce and started to pour it over her beginning in between her breasts, moving down the center of her rib cage, over her flat abdomen, then onto her mound and over the edge. Knowing what was coming next had Rayna on the edge of ecstasy. She couldn't remember ever being this turned on or this wet in her life.

Just then Deacon started his slow descent from her neck to her core. His lips and tongue devouring her until she screamed his name thrashing back and forth as her body experienced a pleasure and passion like she had never known before.

The shear sight of her body arching, her thighs dripping with her essence and her screaming his name sent Deacon over the edge as well and he clung to Rayna tightly as he found his release.

###

They languished in the afterglow, feeling fully sated, Rayna perpendicular to Deacon with her head on his chest and her hair splayed across his torso. Both completely spent.

"This was the best pity party ever, babe," Rayna teased. "Really, thank you," she continued sincerely. "I was feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders and couldn't get unstuck from this feeling of morose. You always know what I need and when I need it. That was the hardest thing when we were apart. I missed that. I missed this. No one's ever been able to know me, like you."

"Ray, I love this, too. Not just the sex. That of course is sensational. But, it's these quiet moments afterwards and the moments in between when we share our truths and bare our souls that define us and our connection."

Rayna smiled. "Have I ever told you that you are a smart man…and very, very sexy!"

"Yeah you did. But feel free to tell me again."

###

"Alright, I hate to break up this party, but I need to shower before I get a swarm of ants assaulting my body," Rayna chuckled.

"Ah, let me get things ready for you."

"Ok," Rayna conceded suspiciously.

Deacon jumped out of bed and bolted for the bathroom. He grabbed the basket of rose petals and spread them on the floor. He swiped the matches from the counter and lit the candles around the whirlpool tub then turned on the water and when the tub was filled sprinkled the top with the rest of the rose petals. He loaded the CD player with the mix he burned for her, and then gently lowered himself into the tub.

"Ok, babe all ready."

Curious, Rayna came bounding in. She stopped in her tracks. "Oh, babe. I don't believe you. How did I get so lucky?"

Before Rayna stepped into the tub to join Deacon, she grabbed a clip and pulled her hair back and to the top of her head, then she cozied into the space between his legs.

He closed his eyes and he reached around her and started rubbing her arms, then moved to her hips, then up her stomach then filled his hands with her breasts, reading her like a blind man reads braille and understanding the message that she was completely his.

He quickly grabbed her and swung her around so that she was facing him and they were pressed up against the long side of the whirlpool. Rayna looked into his eyes, closed hers and began to use her hands to explore his body. She gently rubbed the scruff on this face – oh how she loved that scruff. Then she let her hands travel down his neck to his broad shoulders. Her exploration then led her down his back, over his arms and chest as his muscles rippled and pulsed at her touch. She opened her eyes. "Your turn, babe." Then without further fanfare, she straddled him. He was at full attention. She grabbed his cock and filled herself with him. He gasped and a guttural moan escaped his throat as she rode him mercilessly while water poured out of the tub and Prince's _When Doves Cry_ poured out of the CD player. He joined in, grabbing her butt and lifting her off and on him until he exploded, followed by her and they collapsed into each other's arms.

"Good God, I love you," Deacon said in awe.

"Me, too, babe. Me, too." Rayna agreed.

###

"I'm happy to see that crease in your forward erased," Deacon confessed. He had truly been worried about her. He was well aware that the stress from Maddie, Highway 65 and the stalking were taking their toll on Rayna. She always wanted to be strong, but sometimes it was important for her to let others be strong for her. He always wanted to be strong for her. He was just happy that he could be that man now.

They were on their way over to Juliette and Avery's for a little get together. Scarlett and Gunnar, Glenn and Bucky would be there, too.

Juliette greeted them at the door. She couldn't help but notice that Rayna looked better than she has in the last few months. She looked relaxed and at peace.

"Hey, glad you guys could make it. Have a seat, the others are running a little late."

"Uncle Deacon! Aunt Rayna!"

"Well, hello there, Cadence," they said in unison. "You're looking particularly pretty today."

"My mama says I'm always pretty," Cadence said without conceit as Avery scooped her up.

"Your mama's right about that," Deacon said. Rayna chuckled. She still couldn't help but feel a little sad and guilty that Deacon missed out on a lot of Maddie's early years. He would have been great.

Pulling her out of her revelry, Scarlett and Gunnar stepped in. "Hi, guys." Scarlett gave Deacon a quick hug and peck then turned to Rayna. She stopped for a minute and looked at her and whispered. "You look great, Rayna. I take it last night was a success?" Rayna blushed slightly and confided, "Yes and thank you." "You're welcome. Deacon was like a schoolboy asking for advice. It was so cute."

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Juliette inquired. "Oh nothing," Rayna lied. "I'm excited about both of your projects. I know I promised not to talk shop, but I am very excited. Y'all have put some amazing stuff together. It's heartfelt and real. I think people will respond to it. Okay. I'm done."

Just then Juliette set some trays on the counter and invited everyone to dig in. "Please eat up. I have chacuterie, crudités and some fruit and fondue."

Rayna and Deacon looked at each other and bust up laughing.

Juliette was highly offended. "What? What? Yeah, I know its meat and cheese and veggies, but… and she looked at the smirks and knowing glances between Rayna and Deacon and the blush on Rayna's face."

"Oh, you two," she said knowingly. "Really? Is everything about sex with you two?"

"What can I say? We have 14 years to make up for," Deacon said unapologetically and grasped Rayna's hand and gently kissed her lips.

Their friends looked at them and smiled knowing the hell they went through to get to this point. Happy for them and secretly wishing for a love like theirs.

###


End file.
